Most people do not volunteer to help a victim because of the bystander effect. They assume that others will help, so they don’t. When a mama cat was spotted nursing her kitten on the side a very busy road where they are likely to get stepped on or run over by a car, the bystander effect was clear. But it had no effect on one citizen. Jaimee did not turn a blind eye.
This made me burst into tears.
Last Wednesday, I saw a momma cat breastfeeding her litter at the side of the busy road of Taft Avenue. As in yung side kapag gusto mo mag park or magbaba ng passenger. Naisip ko, something’s wrong here, a momma cat would never position herself in a place where there are so many people walking around and vehicles running around that could possibly hit her and her baby.
I know my capability. I know I couldn’t take them in. I have passed my own limit of rescues. But I thought maybe I can just show her a safer place. I went closer and checked if she would get mad at me. She did not, so I scooped her baby from her. To my surprise, ni hindi sya bigla nagalit or nagreact, nagtaka na ko. I let her smell her baby so she can follow it, but she only turned around. When she looked up…
According to her post, the mama cat nursing a kitten was positioned at a very dangerous spot on the side of the road, where public utility vehicles stop to get or disembark passengers. When Jaimee approached, mama cat seemed amiable and did not react, even when Jaimee scooped her kitten away from her.
When the cat looked up, however, Jaimee realized she was blind, and only had one eye.
Tears rolled down my face. I carried them under the stairs of an establishment. I thought, pano na kapag kukuha sya ng pagkain, pano ‘pag babalik na sya sa baby niya. Awang awa ako kay momma cat, naisip ko nagsettle na lang sya sa place na yun kasi hindi niya kita yung paligid, hindi niya alam na hindi safe sa lugar na yun.
I cried and cried. I called ate Joy, (a member I met at a Vet clinic) kasi I needed to speak with someone who understands the pain. Ang sakit sakit sa puso. Hindi ko ma-imagine kung anong pinagdaanan ni momma cat, kung ano na ang nangyari sa iba niyang babies. Masakit pa ma-imagine na ilang momma cat ang may ganitong situation.
She became distraught over mama cat’s plight. She surmised that mama cat must have settled by the side of the road because she could not sense the danger. What could have happened to the rest of her litter?
Jaimee took the cat and kitten home with her. She named mama cat Freda and the kitten Magic. She also had them vetted and mama cat spayed. In a private message to me, she said that a friend will adopt Magic.
 She is with me now. She is safe and will never have to go back and lie down on the road
What’s running through your head? Have you heard of other inspiring pet stories? Share them here!
If you would like to help other animals in distress, consider adopting pets and supporting animal welfare groups. Here is a group you can support. Click link.
Photo credit: Jaimee delos Reyes
